Ailing Pakistani student in Indonesia treated on PM’s directive returns home on recovery

Ailing Pakistani student in Indonesia treated on PM's directive
returns home on recovery

ISLAMABAD, Sept 26 (APP): Anis Ahmed, a Pakistani student in Indonesia, has returned home after recovering from multi-organ failure, following a two-month treatment at government expense on the directive of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif.

Taking notice of the deteriorating medical condition of Anis
at a hospital in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta, the Prime Minister had directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in June to bear all the expenses incurred on his treatment.

Anis, a Masters degree student of Mechanical Engineering at a university in Indonesia on the scholarship of Higher Education Commission, was diagnosed with severe diabetes that left his lungs and other vital organs stopped functioning. He also suffered a stroke, pneumonia, intestinal bleeding and acidosis (increased acid levels in blood), and remained on ventilator for 70 days at a Jakarta hospital.

After recovery, Anis travelled from Jakarta to Islamabad
Sunday night on a Thai Airways flight TG-349, with his boarding and lodging expenditures also borne by the government.

Najam Khan, a cousin of Anis Ahmed, on behalf of his family
expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for taking personal
interest and bearing the expenses of Anis’ treatment that helped him recover from life threatening disorders.

“It was very difficult for our family belonging to Dera Ghazi
Khan to continue with the costly treatment in a foreign country.

We are deeply grateful to the Prime Minister for his kind gesture,” Khan told APP, as he received Anis here on his arrival at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport.

Najam Khan said Anis was now in better health condition.
However, due to physical weakness after long illness, he was shifted on a wheelchair from aircraft to driveway.

Khan, who was also the focal person of Anis’ family in
Pakistan to coordinate with the government officials in Jakarta, termed the role of Pakistan Embassy “extremely positive and helpful”.

“Ambassador Aqil Nadeem and other embassy officials throughout were very supportive,” he said.

Khan mentioned that even before taking of notice by the Prime Minister, the embassy had been taking care of Anis, who was admitted to a private hospital in Jakarta.

As the cost of treatment increased tremendously, the embassy promptly brought the matter to the notice of the government, he added.

He said the government first announced $26,000 for the
treatment of Anis and later increased the limit as the expenditure significantly swelled to around $60,000.

He said the follow-up physiotherapy treatment of Anis as
suggested by the Indonesian doctors would be carried out in
Pakistan, at the government’s expense.

Benazir Income Support Programme Chairperson Marvi Memon also visited Anis Ahmed in Jakarta hospital during her official tour in July. Prime Minister’s daughter Maryam Nawaz in her messages at social media forum Twitter also highlighted the case of Anis.